8/14/2019 APO News 03 2008E

1/8

Iran hosts forum on Development of NPOs

(Continued on page 5

The Asia-Pacic network o national productivity organizations (NPOs) is one o the greatest strengths o the APO

Together the APO and NPOs have overcome many obstacles in achieving regional and national productivity en

hancement. The success o APO projects relies heavily on NPO capabilities, making the Development o NPO

(DON) Program a key APO thrust area.

A vital DON Program event is an annual orum that has brought together NPO heads and senior ocials since 1998. Th

orums discuss critical issues arising rom socioeconomic changes and their impact on national productivity movementThe tenth orum in Tehran, Islamic Republic o Iran, 2830 January 2008, deliberated on NPO plans or capacity build

ing as well as specic member country plans arising rom the NPO need assessment survey undertaken by the APO a

part o DON Strategy.

APO Research and Planning Department

Director Mukesh Bhattarai spoke on the

think tank role o the APO and outlined the

new two-tiered DON Program comprised

o DON Strategy, and DON Implementa-

tion. The DON Strategy objective is to

help promote a strategic approach to NPO

and member country capacity building,which ensures an allocation o resources

that maximizes results, explained Bhat-

tarai. The survey employed a cluster

approach to analyze NPO needs and de-

termine strategies or the development o

NPOs, he added.

Two resource speaker presentations reported the results o a survey o the two clusters. Identied needs were subdivide

into common needs shared by countries surveyed and specic needs o each. common needs were similarly divided int

organizational and capacity development needs. Organizational needs consisted o 28 items or the eight countries i

cluster A, including NPO restructuring and reorganization, holding roundtable conerences, reviewing and drating stra

tegic plans and activities, developing incentive plans or NPO sta, and redesigning job descriptions. Capacity development needs were subdivided into productivity and quality, environment, promotion, and others and emphasized the nee

to develop productivity trainers, consultants, and researchers.

The seven cluster B countries identied both long- and short-term needs, although some were both. Organizational need

included networking with APO members and overseas institutions and developing e-learning materials on benchmarking

energy eciency, and lean manuacturing. Long- and short-term capacity development needs covered lean manuactur

ing, knowledge management, intellectual property rights, SME development, public-sector and service-sector productiv

ity enhancement, energy eciency, Six Sigma, and innovation. Cluster B countries emphasized eight key developmen

areas including more active networks with APO members and other institutions, strengthening o inrastructure an

research activities, more eective dissemination o productivity inormation, and development o better materials o

C O N T E N T S

.p-WatchUSA

.Comment board

.New APO publication

.Common sense talk

.GP integrates managementsystems

.GPAC confrms importance oprivatepublic alliance

.Quiz winners

.Program calendar

.GBM announcement

.APO/NPO Update

.Photo report

.Gauging satisaction 10 yearson

APOnews

Information to Make a Difference in Productivity

Volume 38 Number3 March 2

Workshop

GPAC meeting

NSCI, KPC

Printed on Recycled Paper

Senior representatives o NPOs discussing the fndings o the need survey

8/14/2019 APO News 03 2008E

2/8

APO NewsMarch 008

A

mericans are squeamish at best and ear

the worst as the economy shows evidence

o cracking under the weight o baddebt, overzealous risk taking, government and

consumer indebtedness, and lower productivity.

Cheap imports, especially rom China, and easy

credit have kept consumers happy and willing to

spend beyond their means. US companies, or

the most part, have strong cash positions, but are

becoming wary about expansion and investment.

This economic upheaval, added to world political

uncertainty and global environmental degrada-

tion, makes Americans nervous about the uture.

What will be the cost and who will suer rom the

USAs current state o economic misalignment?

What will be needed to right the American eco-

nomic ship?

This economic upheaval,

added to world political

uncertainty and global

environmental degradation,

makes Americans nervous

about the uture.

The USAs economic malaise can be attributed to

several actors. The most obvious is the volatility

o the stock markets which is the result o investor

greed nding vulnerable consumers who want to

realize the American dream although they lack

the resources in an overheated housing market.

Policymakers should have been extremely nervous

over the news that 40% o Caliornia homebuyers

last year purchased their homes on interest-only

loans, suggesting that they had no money or adown payment. Loans based on very little docu-

mentation to people with ew or no assets ran to

about hal o all mortgages in 2006. The sellers o

those loans made their money up ront, packaged

the loans to investors, and then covered their eyes

to avoid seeing the ugly consequences. Who is to

blame? That depends on whom you talk to. Your

textbook capitalist will argue that bad economic

decisions are penalized by the market, and the

market will sel-correct. The opposing view is that

trickery and misinormation duped the consumer

and such behavior is morally and perhaps legally

unacceptable. Regardless o ones position on the

matter, in August 2007 the Federal Reserve Bank

pumped in over US$60 billion and central banks

around the world took similar actions to avert a

global economic meltdown. The Federal Reserve

Banks inusion o money three times in one day

was unprecedented in US economic history. As

this article was being written the outcome was still

uncertain.

One must wonder why the overly generous creditclimate never rang the alarm bells among econo-

mists. Retail store oers o no money down and

no payments or two years would seem to strike at

least the more senior economists who once lived

in a cash economy as extraordinary. What should

really rattle economists are the negative savings

rates or individuals and the government. Individ-

ual savings have declined into negative territory

rom about 7% 15 years ago. As mentioned above,

businesses maintain a positive savings rate. Hav-

ing no savings would seem to be a problem, but

many economists believe that economic growthtrumps indebtedness. Such aith in economic

growth is not shared worldwide. The USA has the

lowest individual savings rate among industrial-

ized countries and many developing countries; a

good example is Chinese peasants who reportedly

save 20% o their income.

Alarms are being heard, however, over the US

governments dependence on oreign investment to

p-WatchUSA

cover its debt. The governments operational short

all o some US$800 billion a year has been mad

possible by some US$900 billion in oreign purchases o long-term US securities. Governments

however, are exhibiting reluctance to continu

to depend on the US dollar and are diversiyin

away rom dollar-denominated debt. Higher yield

can be ound elsewhere, although at greater risk

Perhaps it is hyperbole to suggest that the USA

intoxicated with what debt can buy, but certainl

some liestyle adjustments are in order or bot

the consumer and the government.

The USA needs to resolve

the healthcare crisis and

revamp Social Security to

ensure long-term viability.

Increasing productivity was the cornerstone o

the US economy over the past decade. Durin

that time, the economy beneted rom over US$

trillion in additional output due to improvemenin productivity rates. From 1995 to 2005, the ave

age productivity increase was 2.7% per year. Thi

represents a one-point increase over the prior tw

decades and a 10% increase in economic outpu

The ensuing productivity bonanza allowed Amer

cans to enjoy an unprecedented improvement i

their standard o living and provided the courag

to incur considerable debt. The ability to continu

to depend on productivity is now being questione

with the latest revised igures or 2006 showin

a low 1% productivity gain. (The preliminar

estimate was 1.7%.) The irst quarter o 200showed only a 0.7% increase in productivity. Thi

compares with a 3% average annual rate rom

2000 through 2005. At the same time, labor cost

are increasing. Unit labor costs rose 2.9% in 200

and 3% in the rst quarter o 2007. The decline i

productivity and increase in labor costs will erod

the living standards o Americans, perhaps mor

dramatically than the current turmoil in the stoc

market.

Pains of realignment

8/14/2019 APO News 03 2008E

3/8

APO NewsMarch 008

Comment board

Manager Noeline Chanan Singh, Wages and

Productivity Unit, NPC Malaysia.

Resource Person, training course on Productivity-

Linked Wage Systems, 28 January1 February

2008, Sri Lanka.

The ve-day program on the Productivity-linkedWage Systems (PLWS) was tailored to enhance

the knowledge o participants on linking wages

to productivity and to share Malaysias experi-

ence in this area. This system has been developed since 1996, and the National

Productivity Corporation (NPC), Malaysia has developed various systems and

models or companies to adapt and adopt. The NPC had also developed the

PLWS Application Tools, a sotware package that provides hands-on experi-

ence or companies to simulate their own PLWS models. Through Malaysias

experience, the participants in this course were able to grasp the basic princi-

ples o linking wages to productivity and understand the basic concepts o per-

ormance measurement. Actual company experiences were also shared with the

participants, which enabled them to conceptualize the implementation processand action that was needed to ensure company wide implementation. Many o

participants also had prior knowledge on linking wages to productivity which

allowed eective sharing and discussion all through the program.

Manager Viliame Waqalaivi, Productivity Promotion, TPAF, Fiji.

National Expert, research on Applications o Productivity Methodologies,

Tools, and Techniques in Member Countries (Coordination Meeting), 812

January 2008, Japan.

The coordination meeting o this one-year search project provided each na-

tional expert with the opportunity to present a preliminary report and obtain

insight into the actual situation in each participating country. Under the guid

ance o the chie expert and the Research and Planning Director o the APO

Secretariat, I was able to understand the requirements o the research, its mag

nitude, and the subsequent planning that would take place at APO level onc

our individual reports are completed. Now with the guidelines in place, I have better understanding o what is expected o me and am working in partnershi

with respondents so that inormation will be orthcoming. All in all, the tas

ahead is enormous but it does present a challenge or us as uture training an

seminars hinge on the availability o national reports on productivity method

ologies, tools, and techniques.

Supervising Tourism Operations OfcerRoselle Quimpo Ruiz, Provincial Gov

ernment o Aklan, Philippines.

Participant, multicountry study mission on Regional Development: Interna

tional Tourism Promotion, 48 February 2008, Japan.

My objective in participating was to learn about Japan and its experience, policies, and techniques in terms o the regional development o tourism throug

the promotion and management o tourism resources. It was an enriching ex

perience. I learned a lot rom the topics presented and the visits to attraction

and industries that refect Japans culture and tradition like the sake brewery, cu

glass actory, and sh paste producer. As a whole, the project was a success an

denitely worth doing again. However, there was limited time considering tha

there were so many activities and places to see. The knowledge rom the trip t

Japan will be a point o reerence or our uture developments in tourism. Ja

pans achievements in tourism through hard work, discipline, and determinatio

serve as an inspiration to us in the Philippines and in our province o Aklan.

Given the storm clouds on the horizon, what might be the ace o a realigned

economic landscape or the USA? It is hard to imagine that business as usual

will suce. A decline in US quality o lie will be elt disproportionately by

the middle and lower economic classes who will shoulder the brunt o the re-

adjustment. Should the shock be severe, the next election will divert the USA

away rom President Bushs ownership society toward more government re-

sponsibility or righting the ship. Americans do not relish more government in-

volvement, but will need to turn somewhere or relie. Americans will want to

curtail military expenditures and put more money toward social improvement.

This may or may not be possible, however, given the perceived threat o in-

creased terrorism. The USA needs to resolve the healthcare crisis and revamp

Social Security to ensure long-term viability. Job creation is key, which begs

the question o immigration and job outsourcing. In an eye-opening article by

Michael Mandel oBusiness Week, we learn that job creation in the US private

sector, except or healthcare and construction, has been negative over the past

ve years. Job growth has been limited to healthcare (1.7 million jobs), con-

struction (0.94 million), and the government (0.9 million). The remainder o

the private sector lost 1.2 million jobs, with the highly touted inormation sec

tor losing 800,000.

The US economy needs to reinvigorate itsel beginning with some belt-tight

ening and a renewed sense o mission that has been derailed o late by investo

greed, unrealistic consumer expectations, and government miscalculation o

how best to lead the country and share world leadership.

Michael Manson had a long and close association with the APO when he

was the Assistant Director of the East-West Centers Institute of Economic

Development and Politics in Honolulu. He helped to initiate a number of col-

laboration programs between the APO and the East-West Center. Manson also

served in the Asian Development Bank, and was Director of Communications

with the State of Hawaiis Department of Business, Economic Development and

Tourism. He is presently an educator.

8/14/2019 APO News 03 2008E

4/8

APO NewsMarch 008

Common sense

talk

For order and inquiry on APO publications and videos, please contact the Asian Productivity Organization, Hirakawa-cho

Dai-ichi Seimei Bldg. 2F, 1-2-10 Hirakawa-cho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 102-0093, Japan. Phone number: (81-3) 5226-3920,

Fax: (81-3) 5226-3950, e-Mail: apo@apo-tokyo.org.

New APO publication

The Asia-Pacic region has experienced tremendous economic growth in recent years, particularly due to

the increasing industrialization and catching up o the worlds two most populous countries, India and the

Peoples Republic o China. With the rise in the income o the people and increasing concerns or sustain-

able economic development, the demand or environment-riendly goods and services is also growing,

motivating enterprises to incorporate environmental aspects into every stage o production and supply.

The Green Productivity (GP) concept, a strategy aimed at harmonizing improved productivity with en-

vironmental protection, has become an important area o activity or the APO over the years. In addition

to organizing training courses, seminars, and workshops on GP, along with the series o Eco-products In-

ternational Fairs, theEco-products Directory publications are a signicant eort to promote the concept

and practice o environmentally responsible purchasing among enterprises and consumers in the region.

The Eco-products International Fair 2004, hosted in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, witnessed the debut o the

rstEco-products Directory, with the three subsequent volumes published annually up to 2006. TheEco-

products Directory 2006included a total o 591 eco-products, eco-components, and eco-services avail-

able in the region and beyond.

TheEco-products Directory 2008, the ourth volume, will be released during the inauguration o the Eco-

products International Fair 2008, 14 March, in Hanoi, Vietnam. It contains more than 700 eco-products/services developed by environmentally advanced enterprises, o which more than 400 are categorized

as eective in preventing global warming. Considerable eorts have been made to make the directory

more user-riendly by the inclusion o enhanced descriptions o many eatures and new chapters such as

Rationale or theEco-products Directory 2008 and Main News and Topics Related to the Environment.

It also provides participating organizations with an opportunity to publish their own policies on environ-

mental and corporate social responsibilities.

This publication is expected to be useul or business-to-business eco-entrepreneurs, enterprises wishing

to green their supply chains, and members o the general public who would like to support environment-

riendly producers and service providers through their own consumption patterns. The APO thereore

plans to distribute the Eco-products Directory 2008 at the G8 Hokkaido Toyako Summit to be held in

July 2008. In the long run, it is hoped that it will contribute to the sustainable economic development othe region by expanding awareness o eco-product and service availability.

ECO-PRODUCTSDIRECTORY 2008

APO 395 pp. February 2008

ISBN: 92-833-2381-5 (print edition)

ISBN: 92-833-7066-X (e-edition)

Education is the ability to listen to almost

anything without losing your temper or sel-

condence.

Robert Frost

I you see in any given situation only what

everybody else can see, you can be said to be so

much a representative o your culture that you are

a victim o it.

S.I. Hayakawa

For many people a job is more than an income

its an important part o who we are. So a career

transition o any sort is one o the most unsettlingexperiences you can ace in your lie.

Paul Clitheroe

The great enemy o clear language is insincerity.

When there is a gap between ones real and ones

declared aims, one turns as i it were instinctively

to long words and exhausted idioms, like a cut-

tlesh squirting out ink.

George Orwell

There is nothing more productive o problemsthan a really good solution.

Dr. Nathan S. Kline

To say that a particular psychiatric condition is

incurable or irreversible is to say more about the

state o our ignorance than about the state o the

patient.

Dr. Milton Rokeach

Living up to basic ethical standards in the class-

roomdiscipline, tolerance, honestyis one o

the most important ways children learn how to

unction in society at large.

Eloise Salholz

The worst sinner has a uture, even as the great-

est saint has had a past. No one is so good or so

bad as he imagines.

Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan

8/14/2019 APO News 03 2008E

5/8

APO NewsMarch 008

GP integrates management systems

One business challenge today is to manage activities holistically in-

stead o adopting management systems such as ISO9001, ISO14001,

and OHSAS 18001 in isolation. The integrated management systems

(IMS) help organizations to develop unied, consistent objectives and a com-

prehensive implementation plan to optimize quality, environmental, and health

and saety (QEHS) perormance. Green Productivity (GP), a strategy devel-

oped by the APO or harmonizing improved productivity with environmentalprotection, is based on the plan, do, check, and act cycle identical to ISO9001,

ISO14001, and OHSAS 18001, thus covering the QEHS aspects. GP integrates

all three systems simultaneously.

To train a pool o GP experts in member countries, the APO now uses a mul-

titiered approach. The workshop on GP and Integrated Management Systems

began with a basic sel-learning course through the APO e-Learning Portal

and an e-learning course using the acilities o the World Bank Global Dis-

tance Learning Network in JulyAugust 2007. It concluded with a ace-to-ace

workshop organized in India, 717 January 2008, or 23 selected participants

rom among the 350 who took the e-learning course in 2007. One o the par-

ticipants, Assistant Vice-President or Special Projects Dr. Miriam Esquejo

Neccesito, Philippines Womens University, commented that, The e-learning

program was an opportunity to learn about the IMS via an innovative, cost-

eective modality. The ace-to-ace workshop complemented the e-learning.

Participants could obtain additional insights, learning, and guidance through

the direct interaction.

The 23 selected participants gained practical experience to add to theory. The

NPC, India, the workshop host organization, provided the latest versions o

ISO9001, ISO14001, and OHSAS 18001 or group exercises. Participants

studied the main system elements to integrate them using the GP approach.

A comprehensive assessment o QEHS issues was made using the GP proc-

ess, illustrating how to assist organizations to develop an integrated policy,

objectives, and targets in a combined plan. The group exercise on GP and th

IMS and its presentation were particularly interesting. It created very health

competition among the participants and gave great motivation to work har

to develop an integrated policy and plan, said Assistant Manager Ali Asgha

Heavy Mechanical Complex (Pvt.) Ltd., Pakistan.

The workshop conirmed that the IMS helps organizations more eiciently

manage all QEHS issues, thereby minimizing incidents and reducing costs.

am now reviewing our management system and will make a report to manag

ers to suggest plans or improvement. I am also planning to carry out som

training among our employees on the IMS and GP or application in our com

pany, Team Leader o Quality Control Sector Luong Ngoc Thuy, Nghison Ce

ment Corporation, Vietnam, wrote in a letter addressed to the APO, resourc

speakers, and other participants in the workshop.

Discussing integration o current systems using the GP approach

Iran hosts forum on Development of NPOs .................................................................................. (Continued rom page 1)

training and consultancy, including assistance in case study writing and

certication o management consultants.

Needs are many and varied due to the dierent stages o development, ma-

turity o the productivity movement, and economic prole. They range rom

the need to review and restructure the NPO to sta development requiring

assistance rom the APO, said Chie Expert Mah Lok Abdullah, in describ-

ing the diversity o specic needs. Participants divided into three groupsand again listed the priority needs o each country and common needs o

each group based on the ndings o the survey. The outcome o the survey

was very inormative and benecial. It provided useul eedback and inor-

mation in ormulating the appropriate roadmap or the respective NPOs,

Director Abdul Lati Bin Abu Seman, NPC Malaysia, commented.

The experts recommended that the APO and NPOs utilize individual-

country assistance programs such as Technical Expert Services, Bilateral

Cooperation Between NPOs, and observational study missions. The experts

explained that one problem was that NPO roles were increasingly complex

and divergent while resources and capabilities remained limited. Thereore

they suggested that NPOs prioritize their market segment and ocus on

major areas. The NPO need assessment survey is a progressive step or the

APO. It has given some insights into the issues and given a starting point.

It is a major investment o time and resources by the APO to make the re-

gional productivity movement eective, said Chie Expert S.A. Khader. He

also emphasized the APOs role as an adviser by saying, The APO shouldlook at each NPO, not only as an implementing partner, but also a ostered

younger brother, who needs support and proessional inputs.

The APO will integrate all the input and ndings in action plans ater con-

sulting with NPOs and national and chie experts. To benet ully rom

the whole exercise, NPOs should ollow up with the APO on the proposed

programs and roadmap, while the APO should work more closely with the

NPOs, Abdullah advised.

8/14/2019 APO News 03 2008E

6/8

APO NewsMarch 008

The APO has been tireless in its eorts to encourage private-sector partici-

pation in its projects, because the involvement o representatives o that

sector is crucial to the success o productivity drives in member countries.

This is particularly true in the promotion and implementation o Green Produc-

tivity (GP).

In 2003, the APO set up the Green Advisory Committee (GPAC), composedo individuals in charge o environmental management in leading companies,

mainly in manuacturing, to give advice on environmental measures based on

the long-term experience o Japanese corporations. The GPAC selected the

greening o supply chains (GSC), which aims at linking manuacturing with

sustainable economic development, as its main theme and has been working

to ensure that Asian governments and businesses promote the use o environ-

ment-riendly products as a undamental business objective. The GPAC annual

meeting has become one o major events on the APOs calendar. The meeting

has reviewed all GP projects, especially the Eco-products International Fairs

(EPIFs) andEco-products Directory, since initiation in 2004.

The sixth meeting o the GPAC, held at Grand Arc Hanzomon Hotel, Tokyo,23 January, again emphasized the importance o joint eorts between the

APO and private corporations to encourage sustainable development through-

out the Asia-Pacic region. The new chairperson o the GPAC conrmed at

the sixth meeting, Dr. Tamotsu Nomakuchi, Mitsubishi Electric Corporation,

stressed the importance o strengthening the network o Asian economies

through the APO and that the APOs GP private-sector projects such as the

EPIFs andEco-products Directory, were both timely and necessary. Outgoing

Chairperson Etsuhiko Shoyama, Chairman, Hitachi Ltd., stressed the neces-

sity o proactive governmental support in the APO GP Program or creating

increased synergy in the pursuit o sustainability, while the private sector as

represented by the GPAC had also made signicant eorts to assist the pro-

motion and practice o GP in the region.

GPAC confrms importance o privatepublic alliance

The meeting was attended by three vice chairpersons, Pro. Ryoichi Yamamoto

University o Tokyo, Representative Director and Executive Vice Presiden

Hideaki Sekizawa, Nippon Steel Corporation, and Senior Counselor Kazuyosh

Terashima, Ebara Corporation, and Adviser Masatoshi Yoda, ormer presideno Ebara Corporation, along with GPAC members and observers. Two specia

guests rom Vietnam, the host o the EPIF 2008, Director General Dr. Ngo Qu

Viet, Directorate or Standards and Quality, the national standards body o Viet

nam, and Managing Director Nguyen Anh Tuan, Vietnam Productivity Centre

gave presentations at the meeting. Tuan reported on the nal preparations or th

EPIF 2008 to be held in Hanoi, 14 March.

Director Takuki Murayama, Industry Department, APO Secretariat, also made

presentation on overall activities or GSC in 2008, and Industry Program Oce

Yoshikazu Kihira described the preparations or publication o the Eco-produc

Directory 2008. The meeting underlined the determination o GPAC members t

achieve a sustainable society within and beyond the Asian region.

Dr. Ngo Quy Viet presents a memento to GPAC Chairperson Nomakuchi, Tokyo, January 2008

Winners o diary planners

Suborna Shekhor Ahmed (Bangladesh)K.A. Krishnan (India)

Kalathur Srinivasan (India)

Mohamad Usman (Indonesia)

Soo Chul Park (Republic o Korea)

Rabindra Kumar Shakya (Nepal)

Myrna Atienza Tenorio (Philippines)

Gilbert Hu (Singapore)

Katika Samaneein (Thailand)

Nguyen The Cuong (Vietnam)

Winners o three APO publications

S. Shanmugam (India)Hardadi Lukito (Indonesia)

Haris Budiyono (Indonesia)

Rudi Hartono (Indonesia)

Robert Wesley Sihar Sirait (Indonesia)

Ahmad Navid (Iran)

Yass Youse Yekta (Iran)

Fouzan Muhammad (Pakistan)

M. Mohsin Iqbal (Pakistan)

Chanda R. Inocencio (Philippines)

Winners o APO T-shirts

Nazila Sedghi Sigarchi (Iran)Souvanthong Namvong (Lao PDR)

N. Tuul (Mongolia)

Bindra Devi Shakya (Nepal)

Syed Muhammad ul Haque (Pakistan)

Sarmad Mohsin (Pakistan)

James Lek Chun Hou (Singapore)

Mangala De Zoysa (Sri Lanka)

Le Vu Soai (Vietnam)

Mohamed Saad El-Ashkar (Egypt)

Quiz winnersTheAPO News quiz contest in the December 2007 issue received 76 entries including 50 with 100%

correct answers (answers available on the APO Web site: www.apo-tokyo.org). The prizewinners were

decided through a lucky draw perormed by APO Secretariat sta members. Our congratulations to all

the winners, who will receive their prizes soon. We also thank everyone or enthusiastic participation in

the quiz. APO Secretariat sta displaying prizes ater quiz draw

8/14/2019 APO News 03 2008E

7/8

APO NewsMarch 008

APO/NPO updateNew APO Liaison Ofcer or Republic o ChinaMr. Chen-Chi Mii, Senior Management Consultant, International CooperationDepartment, China Productivity Center, was appointed APO Liaison Oceror the Republic o China, w.e.. 1 January 2008.

New Acting APO Liaison Ofcer or FijiMs. Sainimili Mocevakaca, Labour Inspector (APO), Ministry o Labour,Industrial Relations, Employment, Local Government, Urban Development &

Housing, was appointed Acting APO Liaison Ocer or Fiji, w.e.. 4 February2008.

Promotion o APO Alternate Director or PakistanMr. Zaar Iqbal, APO Alternate Director or Pakistan, has been promoted romJoint Secretary to Senior Joint Secretary, Ministry o Industries, Production &Special Initiatives, w.e.. 18 December 2007.

Photo report

Presenting an action plan or a productivity-linked wage systemTraining course on the Productivity-linked Wage Systems, Sri Lanka, 28 January1 Feb-ruary 2008.

Site visit to a local brewer o traditional Japanese sake Multicountry study mission on Regional Development: International Tourism Promo-tion, Japan, 48 February 2008.

May

Republic of ChinaWorkshop on Quality Engineering: The Taguchi Method, 59 May.

Objectives: To grasp the principles o quality engineering; review thecurrent status o its adoption; and plan or the development o a demonstra-tion project. Participants: Production managers/engineers and process improvement orquality assurance and technical consultants o NPOs or similar institutions.

JuneIndonesiaWorkshop on Improving Managerial Skills o Women Entrepreneurs inAgribusiness, 1014 June.Objectives: To enhance participants knowledge o current global trends,opportunities, and challenges in agribusiness; identiy the training needs owomen entrepreneurs and women managers o agribusiness enterprises; and

develop training modules. Participants: Ocers and managers o agribusinesses, industry associa-tions, or agricultural cooperatives, representatives o academia or training in-stitutes, and consultants o NPOs involved in human resources development.

e-Learning CourseExporting Processed Agri-ood Products in Major Global Markets (based onthe Global Development Learning Network o the World Bank platorm).Phase 1: 1315 May or Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, ROC, and ThailandPhase 2: 2426 June or Bangladesh, I.R. Iran, India, Nepal, Pakistan, andSri LankaPhase 3: 13 July or Cambodia, Fiji, Lao PDR, and VietnamObjectives: To investigate the current trends and emerging opportunitiesor the export o processed agri-ood products and policies and regulations

governing such exports; and provide the tools necessary to start exportingand expanding into new markets. Participants: Executives or senior managers rom agri-ood-processingSMEs, senior ocials o export promotion boards or agencies, and leadersin the ood industry and exporters/traders associations involved in promot-ing exports o agri-ood products.

Kindly contact your NPO or details o the above activities, including eligibil-ity or participation. The project details along with the address o your NPOare available rom the APO Web site at www.apo-tokyo.org.

Program calendar

Iran to host 50th GBM

The Governing Body, the supreme organ o the APO, will hold its 50th

annual session in Tehran, Islamic Republic o Iran, 2123 April 2008. Tra-

ditionally held in June, this years Governing Body Meeting (GBM) was

brought orward two months to April to acilitate the transition to a new

budgeting system as a result o the new membership contribution ormula

approved by the 49th session o the GBM held in Mongolia last year. The

National Iranian Productivity Center will play host to approximately 70

attendees comprising APO Directors and their advisers rom 19 member

countries, observers rom various national agencies and international or-

ganizations, and APO Secretariat sta.

8/14/2019 APO News 03 2008E

8/8

8

APO NewsMarch 008

Customer satisaction (CS) ratings and customer-oriented

management are not new concepts. Slogans such as the

customer is always right, or the customer is king are

decades old. However, the plethora o choices and inormation

available has resulted in very sophisticated, demanding custom-

ers. Consequently, companies require more eective strategies toensure repeat business.

The Korea Productivity Center (KPC) recognized the necessity

or accurate measurement o CS or companies needing a reliable

indicator and as a standard index o sectoral and national compet-

itiveness. The KPC worked closely with Pro. Claes G. Fornell,

University o Michigan, the developer o the American Customer

Satisaction Index (ACSI) and launched the National Customer

Satisaction Index (NCSI) in 1998.

On 29 January, the KPC organized the NCSI 10th Anniversary

International Conerence at the Grand Intercontinental Seoul. The conerence

reviewed 10 years o NCSI research and the improvements it had made to

Korean company income. The APO assisted by deputing two overseas resource

speakers, Pro. Fornell and CEO Dr. Jan Ekl o the European Perormance

Satisaction Index (EPSI) under its Technical Expert Service Program. In the

opening address, KPC Chairman and CEO Sung-Ki Bae stated that, NCSI

research was embarked upon to induce corporations to enhance their quality

competitiveness through the scientic measurement o their customers satis-

action. I am proud to say that the NCSI has successully promoted customer

satisaction-driven management over the past 10 years, based on the proven ac-

curacy o the index and the authority that the government grants to the KPC.

In his keynote speech, KPC Executive Director Dr. Chun Sun Lee, manager

o NCSI research since its inception, highlighted three main achievements o

the NCSI as winning recognition as being a credible indicator o national

quality competitiveness, playing the role o driving orce or quality competi-

tiveness enhancement, and nally contributing to a higher quality o lie or

the people o the country. Dr. Lee also reported analytical ndings rom the

past 10 years o NCSI research which conrmed a close correlation between

Gauging satisfaction 10 years on

Published monthly byAsian Productivity Organization, Hirakawa-cho Dai-ichi Seimei Bldg. 2F, 1-2-10 Hirakawa-cho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 102-0093, Japan;

Bae (fth rom let) with representatives o companies ranked frst in the NCSI or a decade

the NCSI and major economic indicators such as GDP, consumer spending

and unemployment rate.

The NCSI method itsel has been evolving and expanding or the past 1

years, said Head o the KPCs CS Management Center Hyung Bum Kim

The subject o NCSI research was 37,000 customer responses, coverin

161 companies in 37 industries. As o 2007, the subject had grown to 64,00

responses, covering 237 companies in 56 industries. Kim also added that th

average NCSI score was 58.8 in 1998, although it improved signicantly t

71.6 in 2007. In comparison, the ACSI score was 75.2 in 2007.

It is clear that economic growth in a global economy hinges on both productivity and buyer satisaction. Productivity without customer satisaction lead

to loss o revenue. Customer satisaction without productivity is too costly

with it [a national measure o CS] economic resources can be allocated or th

benet o all, said Pro. Fornell, emphasizing the important role o the NCS

in his congratulatory message to the KPC. He also gave a presentation on th

growing relevance o CS to business management, investment returns, an

economic growth. Dr. Ekl outlined the development o CS studies in Europ

along with the methods o the EPSI, the pan-European counterpart o the ACS

An awards ceremony was held or companies ranked rst more than six time

in their subsectors, which included eight companies that had maintained rst

place ranking or 10 consecutive years. Three o those eight companies, Teecom, Asiana Airlines, and Samsung Corporation, shared their experiences i

using NCSI results to improve CS management. An NCSI innovation awar

was also presented to 13 companies and institutions that showed the most im

provement in their sectors. The conerence concluded with an armation o

the seven NCSI visions, including NCSI coverage expansion, ormation o an

Asian regional CS network hub, development o a global CS index database

new-generation modeling, increased CS knowledge, determining consume

impact, and new projects.

Two TES experts deputed by the APO